Turbulent flow, restricted passage drier



Nov. 17, 1953 KATz TURBULENT FLOW, RESTRICTED PASSAGE DRIER Filed Feb. 17, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 17, 1953 KATZ TURBULENT FLOW, RESTRICTED PASSAGE DRIER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 17, 195o V/ UM M R 0.7 ma@ H .M

Nov. 17, 1953 KATz TURBULENT now, RESTRICTED PASSAGE DRIER 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 1'7, 1950 N @bk www@ /mrz ay M A7 0 MEV4 Nov. 17, 1953 l.. KATz TURBULENT FLOW, RESTRICTED PASSAGE DRIER Filed Feb. 17, 195o 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 17, `1953 TURBULENT FLOW, RESTRICTED PASSAGE DRIER Leonhard Katz, Woburn, Mass., assignor to Raytheon Manufacturing Company, Newton, Mass., a. corporation of Delaware Application February 17, 1950, Serial No. 144,829

5 Claims. (Cl. Sli-122) This invention relates to rapid drying of a wet body by exposing it to the iiovv of a turbulent drying medium in a restricted passage.

In the past, to increase the rate of drying of a wet material, one or more of several practices have generally been followed. Either the temperature of the Wet material, or the temperature of the air surrounding the wet material, has been greatly increased; or another practice, wherein large volumes of relatively unrestricted air at high temperaturesv and moving at relatively low velocities, has sometimes been used.

While these practices increase the rate of drying somewhat, they are unsatisfactory in many instances. For example, many substances become physically damaged When subjected to high temperatures or to wide variations in temperature. Also, air at small distance from the surface of the wet material contributes little or nothing to the rate of drying; thus much of the airy moved in the abovemanner is wasted. By the nature of such applications, a relatively thick ilm or stagnant layer is set up at the surface of the wet material, retarding diffusion of the wetting liquid to the outer more rapidly moving air. The result is that the increased rate of drying so achieved is either not suiiicient for those applications where a high rate of liquid removal from relatively small areas is desired, or is otherwise unsatisfactory for many applications.

Pursuant to this invention, it has been found that a high rate of liquid removal per unit area may be achievedwith a relatively low volumetric rate of dow by conning the surface of the wet material within passages having relatively small ratios of cross-sectional area over inside perimeter,l herein called restricted passages, and Gausing a drying medium to dow through these passages with a high degree of turbulence.

One of the reasons for this is that, as menn tioned above. the rate of liquid removal from a, surface. is affected by the thickness: of a film or stagnant layer: at the` juncture of the wet surface and the drying medium.

The stagnant layer may be considered asa resistance to the transfer'of' liquid from the surface. The rate of liquid transfer through this layer increases asI the thickness ofA the stagnant layer is decreased. At a: critical value of a dimensionless number, termed the Reynolds number, whose value is;- dependent. upon the cross-sectional dimensions of the passage and the velocity, density and viscosity of the. drying medium within the passage, which Will behereinafter more fully explained, the dow inthe passage changes from an orderly laminar ow tov a turbulent one. This turbulent flow may be used to effectively decrease the thickness of this stagnant layer. However, this turbulent region alone is not enough to reduce the nlm thickness sufIicientl-y for high rates of liquid transfer. High Reynolds numbersv and, therefore, high turbulence may be achieved where, nevertheless, the film thickness remains relatively large and' the corresponding rates of liquid transfer from the surface are small. There is anotherl important factor in effecting the reduction in this lm thickness. It is found that, as a practical matter, only when passages of relatively smallv crosssectional dimensions are used in conjunction with these high Reynolds numbers does a suicient reduction in nlm thickness occur to achieve a correspondingly high rate of liquid transfer from the surface. This invention, therefore, involves the use of passages and velocities dimensioned tooperate with-in this desirable region of reduced film thickness. From this aspect, this invention may be considered to be a means for increasing liquid transfer between a surface and a drying medium by reducing the thickness of this, nlm or stagnant layer.

The use of restricted passages also serves another important function in this invention. It insures a high` volumetric rate of liquid removal for a relatively small volumetric rate of drying medium used. With restricted passages, all of the. drying medium is made to flow sufficiently close tothe drying surface to cause every portion of the medium to contribute to the drying phenomenon.

A, present embodiment. of the invention incuru porates the above in a novel arrangement. particularly adapted for the rapid drying of wet strip material, such as motion picture nlm. Such material, b-y its nature, is highly susceptible to injuries, as for example, distortion and breakage from stresses and temperature variations. Even microscopic amounts of distortion mayl destroy thevalue of the nlm because of the ampliiicationof this distortion during subsequent en'- largement as byprojection on a screen. I'he problems are further complicated" by the` fact that extremely rapid drying, eiected as eX- plainedv above, has a severe cooling effect upon the drying material and mayl even cause injurious freezing temperature. Thesel problems are overcome by providing a, construction in a presentk embodiment for rigidly supporting and preventing injurious stresses upon. the nlm during the drying operation, and, at the same time,

maintaining the lm at a desirable substantially even temperature. Ilhis construction consists generally of a cylindrical film-carrying member, such as a wheel, arranged to rotate freely, as on anti-friction bearings, and having a peripheral contour suitable for carrying the nlm. Annular iins integral with the side of the wheel are disposed to make contact with the inflowing drying medium of a suitable temperature to provide a heat exchanger for maintaining the periphery of the Wheel and thereby the film in contact with it at a substantially even temperature. Maintaining an even temperature is also assisted by an insulated body structure for preventing temperature changes from external losses.

In the present embodiment, by providing preliminary rough and finish drying operation areas, each serviced by a separate restricted passage, and a bailie and roller guiding arrangement, nearly the entire periphery of the wheel has been successfully utilized for drying, thereby increasing the over-all rate of liquid removal for the unit. The roller and baiile arrangement has, 'at the same time, served another function, that of forming a third restricted passage arranged to expose the under side of the 'hlm as it leaves the wheel periphery, thereby insuring removal of any wetting liquid which may have remained on the back side of the film.

One of the reasons making possible the above In a second embodiment, the drying is effected by a plurality of restricted passages, each of which may be adiusted to obtain the most desirable cross-sectional passage dimensions for a particular drying material. A construction, Which is desirable for many applications, wherein the high velocity drying medium is prevented from touching the drying material at the mate rial entrance and exit, has been obtained. The second embodiment achieves this by providing a plurality of inlet ports at one side of the periphery of a material-carrying Wheel and a plu- 'rality of outlet ports on the other side of the peripheryV of the wheel with the outlet ports being arranged in intermediate relation to the inlet ports. An adiustable barrier between each inlet and outlet port provides, at one of its ends, with the periphery of the wheel, an adiustable restricted passage as the only path of access between the inlet and outlet ports, Liberality in manufacturing tolerances of ports and flexibility in restricted passage adjustment is also achieved by providing resilient sealing members of material, such as fiexible rubber, at these ports and barriers` These Aresilient sealing members also simplify the provision of a swinging door arrangement for ready access to the wheel.

, The foregoing and other advantages, objects and features of the invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional View taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1 showing a restricted passage;

Fig. 4 is a back View' of the preferred embodiment;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a restricted passage portion illustrating the general now pattern;

Fig. 6 is a front elevational View of a second embodiment of the invention with cut-away sections;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 'il-'3 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a back view of the second embodiment with the plenum chamber cut away on line 8 3 0f Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view taken on line 5--9 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view taken on line lil-i9 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 11 is a schematic View of a typical operate ing arrangement or" the invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 in more detail, the exemplary device i! has a main body i2 in the form of a container composed of a series of laminations. One of these forms a rectangular cover plate i3 made preferably of insulating ,g material as, for example, Lucite, which, in this embodiment, is also transparent. The cover plate I3 is fitted over one face of a restricted passage plate lll, visible through the cover plate i3 in Fig. 1, and having a circular opening I5 located substantially centrally of the plate, which is made preferably of an insulating material as Lueite. The periphery of the circular opening i5 is recessed at one side to form a flow transfer port i5 and has an opening at the opposite side to provide outside boundaries i8 and L! for outlet ports 2!) and 22, and a circular recess 2li for guide roller clearance. The edge 25 of restricted passage plate i4 is above the outer edge 28 of the container I l so as to provide one side of an elongated outlet passage 3B. The other face of the restricted passage plate lli is fastened, as by screws 32, to a rectangular mounting plate 3@ which has ports 36 and 38. and, in its center, a circular raised hub portion di) at the axis of which is located a hole 42. The mounting plate Se is preferably of a light, rigid material, such as aluminum, for example.

ri'ightly iixed in the hole i2 is one portion of a Wheel shaft lit. Another portion of the Wheel shaft dil extends into the center of the opening i5 in passage plate i4, and has mounted thereon and free to rotate on anti-friction bearings, as ball-bearings 46 and d8, a feed wheel 5i), held in place by a nut 5d screwed on to a threaded portion on the end of shaft 44.

The feed wheel 5l) is preferably made of a light material having good heat-conducting properties, as, for example, aluminum. On the side of feed Wheel 5) facing the mounting plate 34 are a series of concentric grooves 55 aligned with the ducts 3b and 38. The other side of the feed Wheel 50 has an intermediate relief portion 58 for minimizing its weight. The periphery of the feed Wheel 5S has a groove 6l! (see Fig. 3) with the shoulder S2 on the plate i3 side of the wheel lower than the shoulder 6d on the other side of the groove to facilitate inserting the material to be dried. The clearance between circular passage plate opening i5 and the periphery of the feed wheel 5s provides a restricted passage t having dimensions which will be hereinafter more fully explained.

Fitting around the hub A5 and against the other side of the mounting plate 34 is a rectangular duct plate 68 made of insulating material as,

for example, Lucite, and having its outside edges coinciding with the outside edges of the. mounting plate Sli. The duct plate 50 also has openings l and l2 coinciding with openings 3S and 38, respectively, in mounting plate Sil.

Fitted against the duct plate t8 is a back plate lll made of insulating material, suchas Lucite, and being of rectangular shape such that its outside edges coincide with the outside edges of the duct plate te. The back plate "lli has a hole it at its center located over the mounting hub t0. Another opening 'l0 coincides with openings 'l0 and 30, all of which open into the inlet 80 provided by the tting'ii which has a shoulder 0e for securing it against the cover plate it, as by screws 8S, which preferably extend into the mounting plate Sii. The plates t3 and 'ift are fastened to mounting plate 58 as by screws 87. Screw and thumb nut fastenings 88 at spaced intervals about the iced wheel opening It are used to secure the cover plate i3 in place during operation, The thumb nut fastenings provide a ready means for removing the cover plate I3 for access to feed wheel The entire assembly may be kept in proper alignment by dowels 3S.

A flow discharge baiile d0 of the same thickness as the passage plate tl is inserted at the lateral opening of the passage plate It to form boundaries for the two outlet ports 20 and 22, and the elongated outlet passage 5S. IEhe baffle 0?, held in place as by screws iii, has its end 02 closely fitting the groove 60 of feed wheel 50 to provide effective separation of ports 2t and 22.

Roller d, arranged iree to rotate on antifriction bearings, is inserted in outlet passage to provide a feed guide for the material to be dried, as motion picture film 00. Rollers E630, 02, and ltd, similar to roller dt, and similarly mounted, provide guides for the film 923 leaving the apparatus.

In operation, wet motion picture lm S3, for example, from a developing and Washing apparatus te (Fig. 11), is guided into the groove 60 of feed wheel 50 over guide roller et, preferably with theY wet emulsion side lacing the restricted passage de. The iilm 08 is led away from the feed wheel d0 over guide roller E00 and turned over to expose its bach side to the passage 30 by guide rollers E02 and ltd. From guide roller |04 it is led away from the apparatus properly dried. The iilrn be pulled through the apparatus, preferably at a constant speed, by any suitable means. For example, a film winding sprocket or spool il (see Fig. l1), driven by any suitable motor preferably with speed control, may beused. Because of the above construction, only a relatively small pull is needed to move the nlm through the apparatus.

Heated air, as the drying medium in this instance, frorn any suitable source as, for example, a blower 05 (see Fig. 1l), operated by a motor i0?, preferably with speed control, and a controlled heater 00, is made to flow through inlet duct te to the grooves 5t. It flows through grooves 5t in both directions around the side ci the feed wheel 50, thereby maintaining the Wheel at an even temperature which, in turn, maintains the motion picture lm about the Wheel Eil at nearly the same temperature. The amount of heat transferred to the wheel' compensates for the cooling eifeot from the drying operation. It should be understood here that, While this novel heat exchanger arrangement has been used in the present embodiment, the invention is not limited to such arrangement and thatother 6 means-.for maintaining proper wheel temperature may also be used as, forl example, electric heat,- ingY elements. From the. grooves 55 the air Hows through openings 'i2 and 38 to the transfer duct It', from whence it flows WithV a high degree of turlmlence.l in both directions. through the restricted passage 60, thereby exposing the photo;- graphic iilm` S carried on the Wheel 50 to the high drying action of this turbul'entow.V Rough drying occurs in the direction of outlet portv 20 and finish drying in the direction of outletv port 22. The rough drying air is then allowed to escape through outlet 2E. To insure removal of any small amount of moisture that might remain on the undenside. of the film 03, the turbulent. air is made to pass over the bottom side of they nlm in the passage 30 before it is allowed to escape.

While, in the present embodiment, air has been used in the restricted passage Bt as the drying medium, other gases may also be used provided dimensioning of the passages is accordingly altered, as hereinafter explained.

In the following analysis, symbols used are clefined in the table below and constants, used in the present embodiment, are given where applicable. Where the use of other gases is desired, the following analysis is applicable provided the constants for the particular gas under operating conditions are inserted in place of those for air.

A=area normal to direction of diffusion in square feet B=thickness of stagnant layer in feet D=equivalent diameter oi a cross section of the restricted passage in feet Dalia.

E=rate or mass transfer, in lb ./hr.

p=perimeter of a cross section of the restricted passage in feet R=gas constant For water vapor For watervapor in air at F., 6:.94 (approximate) a=viscosity in lb./ft.seo.=l.29 10*5 for air at 100 F. (approximate) p=density of gas in the passage in b./ft.3=7.l l02 for air at one atm. and 100 F. (approximate) =partial pressure in atmospheres The new through the restricted passages. will bey laminar or turbulent depending generally upon the cross-sectional dimensions of the passage, the density and velocity, and inversely as the viscosity of the drying medium used. A characteristic variable which determines whether the now will be laminar or turbulent is a dimensionless coefficient called the Reynolds number. The general relation is:

R 4.05 X 10-2 expressed in The new is laminar for Reynolds numbers belovv 2200 and turbulent for values above 2200. VAround 2200 there is an undetermined region in which both turbulent and laminar flow may exist. For laminar flow, any given boundary line in the drying medium continues as a stream line in the same relative position to the wail. In turbulent flow, there is considerable motion in the drying medium With eddies that move perpendicular to the net flow and no definite boundary lines are maintained. However, even in turbulent rloW a laminar boundary layer exists at the wall. At this laminar layer, probably because oi its relatively slow moving and orderly stream lines, there may be considered as existing a stagnant layer as far as diffusion ci the wetting liquid from the lm surface to the turbulent core is concerned. This is illustrated in Fig. 5 Where iiit is a greatly exaggerated cross-sectional view of a stagnant layer, are opposite walls of a restricted passage, i IB is a turbulent core whose average velocity V is in the direction ci" the arrows and H2 is a small iilm o wetting liquid comparable, in this instance, to the wetting liquid of the motion picture lrn. The thickness B of the stagnant layer |06 is affected by the Reynolds number and the equivalent diame .er D of the restricted passage, and for turbulent how may be expressed by the relation where oem is the log mean partial pressure difference and um and om are the respective partial pressures taken at any point H at the liquid H2 surface and par and ps2 are the respective partial pressures at any point H at the juncture of the stagnant layer it and core i i0.

Applying this to the present embodiment, where water is being removed by air as the drying medium, the rate of diusion cf water vapor through the stagnant layer ldd at any point may be shown to follow the relation A- BTR where o1, varying along the length of the drier, is the partial pressure of Water vapor in the air stream at point I iii, 2 is at 100% relative humidity at point lic, and om is the logarithmic mean of o1 and o2. i ie actual rate of liquid removal is somewhat larger because seine liquid is removed in droplet form by the high velocity now Without being evaporated. In this instance, Where a total pressure of one atmosphere is maintained, cm is much smaller than one and therefore may be dropped out of the above equation. If,

for example, an operating range around Fahrenheit is used, the ratio is found to remain nearly constant and the above equation becomes it is seen, therefore, that B has an eiect only on E and that, by reducing B, the rate of diffusion to the turbulent core is increased. Because of the turbulence in the core, a much more rapid rate of diiusion, termed eddy diffusion, exists in the turbulent core and the Water vapor is rapidly carried away by the high core velocity. The chief resistance to diffusion thus exists at the stagnant layer.

One of the factors in the present invention, therefore, is to operate Well above the critical Reynolds number of 2200, preferably at Reynolds numbers of at least 3000, to insure a small stagnant layer thickness and a high diiusion rate. This range may be expressed As mentioned above, the effective diameter of the restricted passage has an ei'l'ect upon the thickness of the stagnant layer. By replacing Re by DVp in the above stagnant layer equation, it reduces to:

1 Vea .mpeg ii- Dv) (im) Thus the two most conveniently controlled factors, the velocity V and the effective passage diameter D, both have an eiect upon stagnant layer thickness, with the velocity having generally a greater effect than the effective diameter D. Therefore, even for large effective diameters, a desirably small stagnant layer thickness l?. may still be achieved by increasing the velocity V. However, by increasing the eiiective diameter D and the velocity V to compensate for this increased diameter, several other things occur. The volumetric ilow of drying medium is increased which thereby increases power and size requirements of apparatus for moving the increased quantities of drying medium. Also, as already mentioned, as the effective diameter becomes large with respect to the velocity, the amount o liquid removal per unit volume of drying medium is decreased. Pursuant to the present invention, it has been found that, in the embodiments herein described, most eiective operation is obtained Where the passages are restricted to those having effective diameters of less than .166 foot and preferably below .033 foot. The relation of D to the ratio of the cross-sectional area over cross-sectional perimeter of the restricted passage is Thus, the ratios of corresponding to D=.166 and .33 foot are .0415 and .00825 foot, respectively. Restricted pasessaies" sages with ratios of cross-sectional area over cross-sectional perimeter smaller than .0415 foot may be expressed mathematically and the relation the expression ci minimum velocity of the drying medium in the restricted passage becomes:

`'.lhe operating velocities used in some instances have been, for example, Vover 400 miles per hour, and 35 mm. motion picture film has been dried overa lf3-inch diameter feed wheel at 90 feet vper minute despite such relatively low nlm temperatures as 100 Fahrenheit.

Figs. 6 to 9 show a second embodiment wherein a plurality of short restricted passages are used. In this embodiment, the material to be dried, as motion picture film 8, enters the drier Hl through the opening H8 and passes over guide roller |53, which may be similar to the guide rollerl), and free to rotate on a spindle |23 xed to a mounting plate |22, preferably made of a light, rigid material, such as aluminum. The film 9S then passes over the periphery |2il of a feed wheel |26, which is mounted free to rotate on antiiriction bearings |28, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. '7. Upon leaving the wheel periphery |24, the lm 93 again passes over guide rollers |29 and 30, similar to the guide roller l0, and similarly mounted. The feed wheel |26 is held in place through anti-friction bearings |28 on a wheel shaft |30 between a shoulder |32 and nut |34 screwed on to the end of wheel shaft ist. The shaft |30 is fixed to a shaft support member |36 by shoulder |32 and nut |33. The shaft support member is fastened in place at the center of mounting plate |22 as by screws M0. An insulating cover plate |42, preferably of insulating material, as Lucite, is iixed to the outside of the mounting plate |22 by screws |554. Screws ille also hold in place a plenum chamber |135 having an inlet Hi8 for receiving a drying medium under pressure, as from blower (Fig. 1l). Mounting plate |22 and insulating plate |42 have inlet ports |50, shown in Figs. 8 and l0, for admitting the drying medium from the plenum chamber M36 to chambers |52 about the periphery |24 of the feed wheel |26. The chambers |52 are formed between barriers Efi. rlhe barriers |511 are made adjustable by elongated openings let for receiving screws ibs which hold barriers |54 in place against the mounting plate |22. Resilient sealing members |60 made of such material as, for example, rubber are fixed as by cementing to the front ends of the barriers |54 and are of a thickness to fit rmly against a cover plate |52 made preferably of an insulating material, such as Lucite, which in this instance is also transparent. The cover plate |52, shown partially cut away in Fig. 6, has outlet ports |64 which are spaced in 10 intermediate relation with I'inlet ports |50 andare separated from inlet ports |50 by barriers |54. Between the cover plate l|S2 and the mounting plate |22 is a spacer `plate itt `made :preferably of insulating material and xed to the mounting plate |22, as .by screws |88. Between lperiphery Vit (see Fig. 6') of Ia circulatr opening located substantially centrally of the spacer plate I` and the tops W2 of the barriers i542- are located resilient sealing members H of :such material, for example, as sponge rubber. Because k,of rsea-ling members ile, barriers :|54 and A:sealing members ist, chambers Ile A(see Figs. 9 and 6) having outlet ports it@ are formed about 'the periphery 24 of feed `wheel |25 and the only access :between chambers |52 and H65 are small, adjustable, lrestricted passages |78 directly above the glm 98 on the periphery its of feed wheel |26. Thus., the drying'medium entering the plenum cham-ber d0 will go through inlet ports itis into chambers |52. From chambers H32 the drying mediumis caused to iiow `through restricted passages |718 over filmes into chambers llt and it is then allowed to escape `through outlet .ports |54. kA baffle plate Hit, a cut-away section of which appears in Fig. 6, in this instance made of transparent Lucite, and attached ,as by Va screw and lug arrangement |82 to the `cover plate |62, deflects outflowing drying medium as it leaves the outlet passages teli. To facilitate rapid insertion of the lm til on the periphery |25 of feed wheel 26, the cover plate |52 has been attached, by by screws ist, to a hinge iet fixed to one end of the rier. Top lclamp 88, bottom clamp ite, and a pivoted screw and wing-nut arrangement it@ are used to secure the cover plate m2 firmly in place against the resilient members Vid and |60 to insure a tight seal. To insure additional support to the cover plate against operating pressures of the drying medium, a centrally located support plate H32, preferably of a rigid metallic material, is attached to the cover plate |02, as by screws itil, and provides additional support to the cover plate |62 by means of a thumb screw |06 screwed into a threaded hole in the end of shaft |32, as shown.

A baiiie |98, shown in Fig, 6 and partially cut away in Fig. 7, is arranged between mounting plate |22 and cover plate i 52 with its top portion Zeil closely fitting the wheel periphery |25, and effectively separates the wet lm entering the drier from the dry nlm leaving the drier. The baffle may be attached in place by a lug 202 and screws 20d in mounting plate |22.

This invention is not limited to the particular details of construction, materials and processes described, as many equivalents will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. It is accordingly desired that the appended claims be given a broad interpretation commensurate with the scope of the invention within the art.

What is claimed is:

l. An apparatus for drying Wet material comprising a container having an inlet, an interme diate duct passage and an outlet; a wheel disposed to rotate within said container, the peripheral face of said wheel having a contour suitable for carrying said material, and a side of said wheel having grooves to form passages connecting said inlet and said duct; means having a. restricted passage about the periphery of said wheel, said restricted passage means connecting said duct and said outlet and dimensioned with respect to velocity ow of a drying medium in said restricted passage to produce turbulence in 11 said ow thereby effecting a high rate of drying of said material.

2. An apparatus for drying Wet material comprising a container having an inlet for admitting a drying medium at one pressure, an intermediate duct passage and an outlet for discharging said drying medium at a dierent pressure; a Wheel disposed to rotate Within said container, the periphery of said wheel having a contour suitable for carrying said material and at least one side of said wheel having grooves to form passages connecting said inlet and said duct; restricted passage means about the periphery of said Wheel, said periphery providing a Wall of said restricted passage means, said restricted passage means connecting said duct and said outlet and dimensioned with respect to velocity fioW in said restricted passage to produce turbulence in said flow, thereby efrecting a high rate of drying of said material.

3. An apparatus for drying wet material, an insulated container having an inlet for admitting a heated drying medium, an intermediate duct passage and two outlets for discharging said drying medium, a Wheel disposed to rotate within said container, the periphery of said Wheel having a contour suitable for carrying said material from one of said outlets to the other of said outlets and at least one side of said Wheel having grooves to form passages between said inlet and said duct, restricted passage means about the periphery of said wheel, said periphery providing a Wall of said restricted passage means, said restricted passage means connecting said duct and said outlets and of a dimension with respect to velocity cw of said drying medium to produce turbulence in said ovv, thereby eiecting a high rate of drying o said material.

e. An apparatus as in claim 3 additionally having guide means at said outlets, said guide means being disposed to direct said material rmly against said periphery.

5. An apparatus as in claim 3 additionally having a baiie at said outlets disposed to :form another restricted passage and guide means in said last-mentioned restricted passage for turning said material over, thereby exposing the other side of said material to said drying medium.

LEONHARD KATZ.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name v Date 1,724,645 De Long Aug. 13, 1929 1,830,287 Ohlin Nov. 3, 1931 2,268,988 Hess et al Jan. 6, 1942 2,297,726 iitephanoi` Oct. 6, 1942 2,501,875 Rayburn Mar. 28, 1950 

